Bunnylovr
| Bunnylovr | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Katarina Zhu |
| Screenplay by | Katarina Zhu |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Daisy Zhou |
| Edited by | Stephania Dulowski |
| Music by | Eli Keszler |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Utopia |
Release dates |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bunnylovr is a 2025 American drama film written, directed by, and starring Katarina Zhu. The film follows a Chinese-American cam girl who navigates a toxic client relationship while reconnecting with her dying father.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025 and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on April 10, 2026.
Premise
A drifting Chinese American cam girl struggles to navigate an increasingly toxic relationship with one of her clients while rekindling her relationship with her dying estranged father.[1]
Cast
- Katarina Zhu as Rebecca
- Austin Amelio as John, Rebecca's client
- Perry Yung as William, Rebecca's terminally ill father
- Rachel Sennott as Bella, an artist and Rebecca's friend
- Jack Kilmer as Carter, Rebecca's ex-boyfriend
- Clara Wong as Dr. Karas
Production
In October 2024, it was announced that filming had wrapped in New York City.[2]
Release
The film premiered on January 25, 2025, at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition.[3] In February 2026, Utopia acquired North American theatrical-distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a theatrical release in the United States on April 10.[4]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 55% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Bunnylovr is a daring debut by Katarina Zhu, but its lack of focus makes its meandering plot more frustrating than effective."[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[6]
Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Bunnylovr's strengths are in its engaging character study of a languid young woman who came of age online. It's not a novel portrait, but Zhu makes it wholly her own. We watch Becca, a Chinese-American woman, float from one interaction to the next, eliding the intimacy of being present."[7] Katie Rife of IndieWire graded the film a B−.[8]
Chase Hutchinson of TheWrap wrote, "It’s a flawed debut feature — there is a fundamental distance between us and the film's main character — but Zhu shows immense promise."[9]
References
- ^ "Program Guide | 2025 Sundance Film Festival". festival.sundance.org. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 15, 2024). "'Bunnylovr': Austin Amelio, Perry Yung, Rachel Sennott & Jack Kilmer Among Cast For Katarina Zhu's Feature Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (February 26, 2026). "Katarina Zhu, Rachel Sennott's Camgirl Movie 'Bunnylovr' Sets April Release From Utopia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ "Bunnylovr". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Bunnylovr". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (January 26, 2025). "'Bunnylovr' Review: A Camgirl Struggles to Connect in a Feature Debut That's Delicate to a Fault". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
- ^ Rife, Katie (January 26, 2025). "'Bunnylovr' Review: An Empathetic but Aimless NYC Indie About an Alienated Camgirl". IndieWire. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^ Hutchinson, Chase (January 25, 2025). "'Bunnylovr' Review: Director/Star Katarina Zhu Does It All in Cam Girl Film". TheWrap. Retrieved January 26, 2025.